The Cornell Method of Note Taking

Having a method for taking effective notes is essential to each student's
success in college. During most classes new information is introduced,
much of which is not available in the text for the class. Writing this
information down in a well organized
manner
not only assures that you can refer to it in the future, but the act of taking
notes assists with recall of the information. The Cornell note taking
method is a strategy that many students find helpful. The method, also
called the split page, or 1/3 - 2/3 method is outlined here.

Take a piece of regular, lined notebook paper. Draw a vertical
line about 1/3 of the way from the left margin.

Think of the
right hand column, as "the instructor's
section". This is where you would take note during class, writing
in outline, abbreviated form the information given during class.

Think of the
left hand column, as "your section".
This is where you would make notes to yourself about the information
the instructor presented. Usually this is done after class. It
might contain a 1 or 2 word summary of the right hand column, or a
reminder, something to emphasize the information. You could also
use this to write your own "quiz" question.

To review your notes, cover either column and try to recall the
information. You can write out your answers, repeat them out loud,
or mentally.